Pain of Betrayal
by GinRyu-chan
Summary: Yugi Mutou thought he was betrayed by his friends and soon after disapeared for two years. He's come back with a mission, to steal the Sennen Items...but who, exactly, is betraying who? Warning, Yaoi~YxY
1. Prologue

Pain of Betrayal

Hallo!! Just to let you know, since I have the whole Winter Break free, I'll be writing once a day!! I'll be alternating between two fics though, since the other one only has two chapters left...

Anywho...

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Be it characters, plot, or just story and related stuff in general. Gee, no really? This was and still is, stupid...oh, right, this story's plot and OC all belong to me, no really...I should stop with the sarcasm directed to myself, eh?**

* * *

_'Why?'_ Young Yugi Mutou ran down the streets of Domino city. People took little notice of the small teen as he darted through the streets, tears streaming from his eyes, actually, there were _barely_ any people. Eventually he tripped and fell, he didn't bother standing, he just got on his knees and began hitting the cement repeatedly with his fists.

"Why? Why, why!" With one final hit, he closed his eyes tight and muttered one word quietly, "Why?" Slowly, he picked himself up, looking to his right, he saw the inviting opening of the park entrance, he headed into the park and sat himself down in a more secluded area. When he settled down, he stared at his knees, which were scraped and let out a whimper before pulling his knees to his chest and crying.

He didn't care when the salt water hit his open wounds, all he could focus on, was the same question he had been asking himself alot, why? He got an answer,

**"Because, they don't care..." **Yugi's eyes widend, for one week now, that voice had been plaquing his dreams and his thoughts. **"Because your darker half is everything you are not. Because to them, you are a worthless, sniveling brat!"** The sinister voice hissed. Yugi shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears.

"No, that's not true!"

**"Oh? Then answer me this, why have they been ignoring you more this week? It is after all, your sixteenth birthday, a very special day...too bad your friends don't care enough to notice..."**

"Shut up!" Yugi took his hands away from his ears, "You're wrong! They do care! G-get out of my head!"

**"But Yugi, I'm just trying to show you the truth...where has your darker half been this week, hm? Been hiding something from you, hasn't he?"**

Yugi froze, that struck a chord, and the voice seem to know it. For a long time now, Yugi had figured that he haboured feelings for his darker half, beyond those shared bettween a yami and their hikari. Later, he also figured those feelings were more than just a crush, it was love...

**"Don't tell me, he has!" **It, whatever it is, feigned a sound of surprise, and spoke in mocking comfort, **"Poor, poor Yugi, abondoned by his friends and love...the one that promised to always be with him..."**

"Please, stop..." Yugi pleaded as his arms once again wrapped around his knees, "Yami, wouldn't do that..." The voice was right about something though, Yami and his friends have been ignoring him a bit this week...

**"Yes, now you're starting to see, you are nothing but a useless brat who is vertically challenged!" **

"Please, no more..." 

**"Are you gonna cry now? If you must, please do so quickly."**

It was then he felt someone tilt his head up and he stared into the face of a woman somewhere in her early twenties. "Such a beautiful child...do you seek relief from the pain?" The woman was surrounded by a dark aura, she smirked darkly as Yugi hesitantly nodded. "It must be hard, to be abandoned, without help...defenssssslesssss"

"They haven't deserted my yet..."

"Ah...little one, but how do you know for sure? Hm?" "Your innocence is alluring, but it is also your greatest weakness...join me in the darknesssssssss." Yugi thought everything over and nodded. "One more thing," she gently tapped the Senne Puzzle with her finger, "We don't want anyone following." He stopped and stared at the puzzle longinly, he truly didn't believe Yami or his friends hated him, but if they were happier without him, he would leave.

He pulled the puzzle over his head and handed it to the woman. She chanted something and the puzzle disapeared, she took Yugi's hand. Chanting somethig else, a dark void opened, she walked int, Yugi in tow. Hence forth, Yugi Mutou was never seen again, until two years later...

* * *

I know that was short...but, it _is _the proilogue, sides, you know how late into the night I was writing this? You do not want to know...

As for all the things the voice said about Yugi, I do not mean a word of it! Any questions? If not, I have one, did this suck?


	2. Dark Angel

Pain of Betrayal

Thank You all those people who reviewed, I appreciate it. My other story only has the Epilogue left, so I'll be updating this more often!! Maybe...

I hope you all like this, I've really put alot of effort in.

Enjoy!!

* * *

"These Sennen Items, they have massive powers, enough to give me the boost I need?" The woman's orange eyes sparkled with interest as she leaned forward in her throne.

"Yes, and more than you'll need." The woman paused in thought, "The seven Sennen Items consists of a ring, a scale, a key (AN: I prefer key, since key is easier to spell...), an eye, a rod, a tauk and finally, a puzzle, my queen."

"Does the Sennen Puzzle happen to be an upside-down pyramid with an egyptian eye on it?" The hooded man nodded,

"Yes my Queen, that is exactly how it looks like, once built of course...but no one has been able to do so in three millenias..." The woman waved her hand dismissingly, 

"That is enough, Kaniah, why don't you show this man...er..thing his reward..." A dark smile graced her feature, "Remember to reward him well..." A teenage girl, probably 18 stepped out from the shadows, most of her features were by the darkness. All you could see was she was wearing a cloak with the hood down, showing her emerald green hair done in one simple ponytail that hung to her waist.

"My pleasure." She waited for the man by the door, 

"Thank you Queen Vesa, thank you." The man muttered humbly bowing his head and retreated with the girl. As the large doors opened, another hooded figure stepped in. As she passed him, she shot him a glare that could make hell freeze over. The boy just stared back with calm amephyst eyes and continued his trek inside the throne room, while she continued hers, going outside. As the door closed, the boy knelt infront of the black throne,

"Ah, Yugi! Just who I was looking for, I take it you last mission went well? And for Ganiva sake! Take off that hood!" The woman spoke while propped her head up by the back of her hands, which were resting on the armrest of the throne. The boy slowly removed his hood, his hair style was still the same as before, he was taller now, and his eyes held no emotion, and no more of that child-like innocence.

"Our mission went well, your highness." He stood up, meeting the queen at eye level.

"Yugi, have you forgotten? I prefer 'demoness', 'highnes' sounds so, gay." Vesa didn't mind the fact that he was standing, and no other bothered to point it out. There were selected fews that were 'The Queen's Favourites' and they were usually assasins. Unless they do things that endanger the queen, even then, they usually would hold their tongues, fearing for a fate worse than desath...a fate of eternal life, in the dungeon.

"And I prefer being called by my title." A muffled scream of agony echoes through the palace, Yugi quirked a brow,

"That is the one who brought your next mission." The door opened and Kaniah stepped back in, her cloak slightly stained by blood,

"I have _rewarded_ the man, your demoness." Vesa laughed, an evil and sinister laugh. As she did so, Kaniah turned to Yugi and glared, she had hated Yugi, like she has hated all human since she came. They're both one of the queen's favourite, the difference? Kaniah took one year to be trained as an assasin, and it took another five months to become her favourite. While Yugi, with an extremly sharp mind, only required four months of training and only needed one month to make it to Vesa's favourites list.

"Dark Angel, I believe you are familiar with the Sennen Items?" Yugi nodded stoicly. "Then it shouldn't be a problem to retrieve it? You do know the location of at least one, bearer of the Sennen Puzzle." Before Yugi can even reply, Kaniah spoke, cold and emotionlessly,

"May I ask, if he knew the puzzle held so much power, why didn't he present it to her magesty?"

"Cut him some slack, he was lost. Besides what good would the puzzle be if we don't have the other ones?" Vesa asked in Yugi's defence.

"I know the location of all seven Sennen Items. Three are in Egypt, Four are in Japan, but I know a way to make perhaps the other three appear in Japan." He spoke once again, in a calm voice, on his face, in his eyes, you could see nothing, but inside his soul, it is an entirely different story.

"Good, you are dismissed, leave on your mission immediatly, you may kill if need be." Yugi walked out the door, closing it behind him. He continued to walk throught the dark corridor, he was heading for the Traveller's Chamber, where portals to other worlds were placed in, the door itself is locked with a puzzle, on it, you must put in a password theat is guarded by another puzzle, and you would need magic to work the portals. That was the only place in the palace where portals can be opened, so they could keep track of where they went.

"Where to this time, Master Yugi." A calm motherly voice called out. Yugi didn't need to look to know who was speaking, he didn't mind her calling him by his name, he jsut wished she would stop with that 'master' stuff, she was after all, his partner.

"Domino." He frowned, as the name made a familliar ring and made his stomack turn. The voice hesitated,

"Are you sure about this?" Yugi looked to the speaking figure, she was completely hidden by the shadows, only her red eyes showed. Her eyes were red, just red, the kind that you will never see, a completely pure red. They height were around where his waist is. He smiled warmly,

"If you'll come with me."

"Of course, we are a team, no?" They silently entered the Traveller's Room as the door behind them closed.

~ ~

Ymai heaved sigh as he strolled silently along the side walk. The rest of the gang had all returned home after a long day of homework completion. Granpa was out of town, and the house, erm...shop was as lonely as lonely gets. Yami fingered the Sennen Puzzle around his neck, if it were two years ago, he would have some one to spend time with...

_'Yugi...'_ It has been two years since his innocent aibou had disapeared. He still remembered that day well, he had come home, late. Yugi wasn't home, but the puzzle lay in his room. The police had searched, but after a few weeks, had declared him dead. Yami went didn't go to his funeral, he knew his light was still alive, and he saw no reason of attending the funeral of a living person.

He stopped by the park, something drew him to it. He turned and stepped into the park, heading to a secluded area only him and his light knew about. As he walked, his mind wandered again, he loved his light, with all his heart and soul. He was going to confess his love to Yugi on his sixteenth birthday, but...

Yami stopped dead in his tracks, thoughts subsided as a small sound came from his little sanctuary...humming...Ymai's eyes widend and he slowly creeped towards the sound, hoping beyond hopes, it was awho he wished it to be. As Yami entered the clearing, he saw a figure sitting by a tree looking at the pond, a very familiar figure...

"Yugi?" He wondered for a moment if he was dreaming, or going insane, if he was dreaming, this was a very good dream. Slowly the figure turned around, wide innocent violet eyes stared back at him.

"Yami?" He didn't care if it _was_ a dream, he threw himself at his angel and held him close, fearing that if he let go, he'll lose him forever. Slowly, Yugi put his arms around his darker half, savouring the moment. They stayed in that position for a while until Yugi pulled away, "I want to go home now..." Yami nodded, stood up and held his hikari's light firmly.

~ ~ ~

"Would you like anything aibou, some water perhaps?" Yami offered,

"Hai." Yami stood up, but befopre he left the door, walked back over to Yugi and looped the Sennen Puzzle over his neck,

/Back where it belongs./ Yami spoke mentally.

//Yes, it is.// After Yami left the room, Yugi quickly and quietly stood and moved over to his desk drawer.

Yami's POV

I can't believe it's true. Yugi's back! By Ra, I thought I'd lost him forever. I smiled, I thought I would never have been able to see those eyes again...those beautiful amephyst eyes filled with such pure innocence. I entered the kitchen, I didn't even seem to notice what Iwas doing as my thoughts wondered to the object of my affections, my aibou. He's gotten taller since I last seen him, I've grown too, I supose I may still be a tad bit taller, but he's still as beautiful as I remember. The gods have given me a second chance, I'm not going to waste it.

I began ascending the stairs to the room where my angel is. I still remembered a time when my light would always remind me it was a room, not a chamber. I slowly open the door, finding Yugi where he was when I left him. Except there are a few differences, for one thing, the thing you'd have to be blind to miss, is that all clinging to his attire is black cloak and in his hands, he was fingering the Sennen Tauk...

"Yugi?" What was I doing? Why do I sound like I don't trust him, I know I can trust him!

"It's weird, hearing some one else call me that again..." What was he talking about? "Almost no one calls me that anymore."

END Yami's POV

"Aibou..." Yugi's eyes suddenly turned deathly cold as he glared.

"Don't you dare call me that for I am _not _your partner." He clutched the tauk tightly, voice dripping with venom, "I'll have you know, _Yami _I only came back because of my mission, to steal the seven Sennen Items." He stood up, he stared hard into Yami's crimson eyes,

"Yugi..." Before anything else could be said, Yugi was at his throat with a mysterious sword. The blade was silver and slightly curved, the hilt was black and along the blade there were markings in red.

"As I've said before, almost no one calls me by that, I am Dark Angel, and if you're not careful, also your Reaper of Death." He smirked darkly; in a very un-Yugi-ish way and drew back his sword,. "Of course, that'll be for later, I want you alive, for now anyways. You can tell the others I'm here and my mission, I like challenges anyways." He released the sword and it disapeared in a flash of black and purple smoke almost as soon as it fell from his grasp. He turned to leave, but Yami's voice caused him to stop,

"What happend to you?" His voice was laced with concern and hurt, an emotion that caused Yugi's heart to twist into a knot. He didn't turn around, afraid of what might happen,

"An eye for eye, I'll make you all suffer like I did when you and my so called '_friends_' betrayed me!" He spat, still not looking back

"Yugi...we never..." 

"I told you not to call me by my name!" He spun around, hatred radiating off his very being, "I don't care about your excuses! I hate you and I wish I had never solved this acursed puzzle!" He turned back around and without anymore hesitaion, left through the window, disapearing into the night.Yami stared out the window, still in the same position as he had been, he slumped to the ground as Yugi's words sunk in. It hurt, more so than when his soul was ripped from his very being and placed in the Sennen Puzzle. 

He didn't want to believe this was true. He wanted this to just be a trick of the mind, he didn't care if he was insane, he just didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to think that his beloved angel hated him. He sat there for a few more moments, hoping by some fate he would wake up and find that these two years had all been a dream, no, a nightmare.

He made his way to the window, staring at the endless stars. He had missed those amephyst eyes, those warm eyes filled with hope and that heart that had enough room for everyone. Though, his eyes, still the same exquisite amephyst, had turned cold and distant, and a heart filled with nothing but hate, hate for him...

"I still love you, and I always will, Yugi."

**_~*To Be Continued...*~_**

* * *

That's Chapter one!! I hope you all like it!! So dark...there are so many things I want to say, but, ack! It would give away where this is all leading to!! All I can tell you is that this whole thing will go in a sort of a circle, just when somethings seem set, it may still change...you know something weird? When I was typing this, I kept on making typos, or more specifically the certain typo where I spelt Yami's name Ymai, I corrected five of those, six I think, oh, well...


	3. Kao

Pain of Batrayal

Ohayo (Good Morning) minna (everyone)! I'm not sure if it's still morning when you read this, but eh, it was when I started writing this. You know what? I'm having a minor problem, I'm starting to lose my motivation to write...oh well, it's starting to come back...why can't I type faster? I type so slowly! Sigh, oh, well, I guess his is the give and take dad always talks about, I never have writers block, but I type so slow it takes me an hour to type one page in Microsoft word! Font twelve...pathetic, aren't I?

There's also a second little problem. It's small, but it's been eating me away...there are so many things I want to tell all of who are reafing this...but I can't! Or I'll be ruining it! But I want to say, er...write it! Sigh, but I don't want to spoil the story! All I _can _ tell you is that nothing is ever as it seems...curses...and aftter this, I still have another fic I want to write...but I must finish this one first! I just hope I can finish it before I get out of this Yu-Gi-Oh! mode...sigh...yes, I'm not just sighing, when I sigh, I actually say the word.

* * *

_'Betrayal and Hate  
One may lead to the other,  
For with bretayal, hate may join,  
And with hate, betrayl may follow,  
Unless one sees beyond the hate.'  
~ By: Gin Ryu-chan_

Yugi sighed as he leaned against the large oak tree of his sanctuary. He always thought that if he ever came back, he would no only have his revenge on those who have betrayed him, but he would do so and enjoy it, but, when Yami had held him, it felt as though he could throw away his thoughts of revenge and return to being the same old Yugi Mutou. He knew it was impossible though, he was no longer the old Yugi Mutou, he was Dark Angel, the best assasin of Queen Vesa of the Demon Realm's court, the court he does not trust. If these two years have taught him anything, it's that Vesa was not all she seems.

That's why being one of her favourites is dangerous. Everyone in her court are her puppets, she holds their fate, and if one stronger than them can take their place, they'll be disposed of, even if they were her prized assasins. He sighed again, looking on to the pond ahead, his thoughts drift back to Yami, the one who swore to protect him but broke his oath by abandoning him. Yet, he hugs himself, frowning, after that embrace, it was as if he lost something, maybe...

"No. I hate him." He dropped his arms and glared at the pond. He slowly fingered the Sennen Puzzle, which his darker half couldn't use to find him, he just put asimple spell to insure that. He closed his eyes and heaved another sigh, this one weaved with frustartion.

"Hate is a very strong word little one." A feminine and motherly voice spoke. He opened one eye, his voice now laced with hidden amusment,

"So? I'm not a little boy anymore, Kao, I'm 18! And frankly I'm the height of one." Kao chuckled from her perch in the tree, hidden by the shadows,

"Yes, Master Yugi, but hate is still a strong word, and I don't think you mean it." She stated firmly, 

"Could you not call me that?" He asked, eyes fully open and mock-glaring at her. He looked up at her, seeing nothing save her eyes which glinted in absoulute amusement. Suddenly, her red eyes narrowed, 

"I believe our next victims are here." Yugi's eyes darkend again. He joined Kao on the branch, eyes narrowing at the sight of two white headed figures,

"We'll head them off at their home." With that, the two seemed to melt into the shadows and disapear...

~ ~ ~

"I can't believe this..." Ryou shook his head, his darker half looked at him worridly,

"Believe what?" Ryou shot him a rather annoyed look,

"About Yugi, you know, what we were called to talk about with Yami?" Bakura gave an 'oh' of understanding and let Ryou continue, "I can't believe he'd be after the Sennen Items. What could have changed him?" Ryou felt tears threatening to fall, 

(AN: Mind, gutter, out.)

Bakura knew his light cared about all his friends, when they eard Yami's seen yugi, he was relieved and now the Pharaoh has told them _why_ Yugi was back, Ryou was once again distraught and worried, it hurt to see his light like this, truly it did. He pulled his Ryou closer to himself, trying to give him comfort. They made the rest of the way home like that. When they entered their home, Balura volunteered to get some water, telling Ryou to wait in the living room.

Bakura held the glass he just took out from the cubards, staring at the smooth clear surface, his mind wandered. He remembered a time when Ryou was nothing more than a pathetic host, who's only reason was to serve him. He remembered how Yugi had reminded him what it means to be human. It's hard to imagine that he has become what the Pharaoh had said he had become, but the Pharaoh would never joke about things like that, never.

_~ ~ ~_

Ryou entered the living room, someone grabbed him from behind, holding his wrists behind him and a hand over his mouth. "Long time no see, ne? Ryou." Ryou's eyes widend, he recognised the voice, "Don't worry, I'll just get what I need and..." He pinned Ryou to the wall, hand still clamped over his mouth, using his free hand, he reached for the Sennen Ring. He tugged, breaking the chord in the process before it came off though, Ryou called out to Bakura mentally.

_/Bakura...!/ _The sound of glass breaking echoed throught the empty house,

"Kuso...so much for surprise..." He muttered before chanting softly, "Rievf az qevnevs, fonnuv ftuuw (Chains of binding, sudden sleep)" And Ryou fell into a world of darkness.

Bakura burst into the living room, and the sight that greeted him was shocking. Ryou was suspended in mid air by something remotly the shape of a cross, where his arms and legs are chained. He was unconsious, and heside him, in the armchair, sat a very smug looking Yugi, in his had was the Sennen Ring. "Hello Bakura." Bakura wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and cause extreme pain to the one who had dared hurt Ryou,

"One more step and you'll regret it." Bakura turned and glared at the source of the voice, which just happens to be a blank panther with red eyes, and claws glowing in dark energy.

"Now, now Kao, let's try to be civil." Tha panther, Kao relaxed but still kept a watchful eye on Bakura. "We can do this two ways, you can give me what I'm looking for, and Ryou will be unharmed, I don't like doing useless killings, but..." The same sword materialized in his hands and he held it under Ryou's neck, "If i need to, I will." Bakura clenched his fists tightly,

"What do you want?" He was seething mad, but for Ryou's sake, he would hold back his anger.

"I knew you'd see it my way. I want the Sennen Eye." Bakura growled, pulled the eye out and tossed it to Yugi, Kao sat down, seeing no danger so far. Yugi caught the golden eye, smiling darkly, he pocketed it, "I've fufilled my half of the bargain, now it's you turn." He removed his sword from under his neck,

"Gladly, lutuifu (release)." Almost immedietly the bindings disapeared and Ryou fell to the ground. Bakura rushed to his lights side, as Yugi stood. "Remember, I am Dark Angel and my mission is to retrieve all seven Sennen Items for Queen Vesa of th Demon Realm." He turned to leave, Kao following behind when a question came from Ryou,

"Why?" Yugi stopped and turned around, staring blankly at them, "Why are you doing this? What happend to you?" His eyes flared with never before seen anger,

"Why? You know what? I asked myself that question two years ago too. Except I wasn't asking why I change, it was more like, why did my friends abandon me?" He started to glow with with a sinister aura.

"When?" Ryou and Bakura were confused, utterly and completely confused.

"Don't play dumb! One week before my sixteenth birthday, you all ignored me! My so called 'friends' left me to wallow in my own sea of despair!" Yugi's aura seem to crackle with vast amounts of energy building up. This sudden change in emotions and aura didn't go by anyone in the room, especially not Kao. He pulled up his sword, the markings on the blade clearly visible now, is revealed as words,

"On this blade, it reads exactly what I went through in Hueln, 'betrayal'." Yugi took another step forward towards the pair, when Kao stepped out infront of Yugi,

"Hevn, glivfwalg of. (Wind, transport us.)" In a small gust of wind, Yugi and Kao disapeared. Leaving the spirit and the bearer of the Sennen Ring alone in their home. A moment of silence followed, Bakura was the first to break it.

"Aibou, I think we should call the Pharaoh..." Ryou nodded, still exhausted from what had happend.

~ ~ ~

In that secluded part of the park, a gust of wind picked up, and two figures appeared. Yugi silently leaned agaisnt the same oak tree, he sighed, turning his attention back to the panther in front of him,

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Yugi smiled, Kao always knew how to cheer him up, even if it's by doing something simple like that.

"Hai, daijobu." Kao rested beside him,

"Anger can be a power booster, but one must control their tempers." She stated,

"Sorry, I was just so frustrated! They all seem to act like nothing ever happend...like they never betrayed me..." He turned to his companion, "You wouldn't betray me, right?" Kao rested her head on her paws, closing her eyes,

"Not, in this life, or any other for that matter." Kao opened one eye and peered at Yugi, "I may be the all mighty Beast of Darkness, but I still keep promises." She closed her eye again. "Go saw some logs, you must be tired after all that." Yugi mock-glared at her.

"Are you implying I snore?"

"Maybe..."

**_~*To Be Continued...*~_**

* * *

Well, that is chapter two of 'Pain of Betrayal' Tell me what you think! By the way, could someone give me the definition of a Mary Sue? I know generally what it is, but still, anyone have the definition? Also, the language they speak, Hueln, is actually a jumble of words. I took the English alphabet and changed it a bit, say, in english the word 'pear' in hueln would be 'wuil'. The **letters** are the english letter:

**A=**I**   
B=**Q  
**C=**R**   
D=**N**   
E=**U**   
F=**Z**   
G=**S  
**H=**M**   
I=**E **  
J**=X**   
K**=C**   
L**=T  
**M**=J  
** N**=**V  
O**=A  
** P**=W**   
Q**=Y  
** R**=L  
** S**=F  
** T**=G  
** U**=O  
** V**=K  
** W**=H  
** X**=D**   
Y**=P  
** Z**=B


	4. Chapter 3

Pain of Betrayal

I'm depressed...sigh...I really wanted to answer some of the reviews, the ones I can I answer without spoiling this, but, not right now, maybe at the end of this, but not now...have any of you played those Sonic Adventure games? I went downstairs five minutes ago, and found that the data was gone....

That is not the sad part, we're really close to the end, but even if _that _data was lost, big deal, we can just play it again. Sure, that would mean we'd have to finish Hero and Dark again, but it wouldn't be too hard. Thing is, dad tried to copy our game data onto another memory card..he succeeded, to an extent, we saved on both, since they were both in the Gamecube anyways...five minutes ago, I discovered the original data gone, we still have the actual game data, but, our chaos are gone...

Some of you may think it's no big deal, but some of those chaos were with us during the first moments of our game, some of them are even adult chaos. So, I've dedicated this author's note to our chaos untimely deaths.

**_Melody  
Quartz  
Mika  
Ditto  
Kurai  
Choco  
Mizu  
Fuyu  
Gin  
Kin  
Natsu   
Ruby   
Died on December 21st  
Chaos of Gin Ryu-chan and Ginko-chan  
May Your Cuteness Live on Beyond The Gates of Being Deleted_**

Call me crazy if you wish so, but I will still mourn for our chaos...and I still need to break the news to my sister...

* * *

"Still no answer?"

"No." For about the fifteenth time, Yami put the phone back on the receiver, they have been trying to call Malik and warn him, but to no avail, all they got was the answering machine. They were fearing for the worst already.

"Maybe they're just out...let's call again later..." Outside, a figures watched smugly,

"They'll never reach Malik Ishtar in Egypt, because he _isn't _in Egypt." Yugi gave a triumphant smirk before turning and leaving. A black cat with red eyes followed, it jumped onto Yugi's shoulder, hissing slightly,

"Why do I _have_ to be a cat?" Yugi smiled, and whispered,

"Cause, it wouldn't be discreet to walk around the streets with a panther." Yugi placed Kao back onto the ground, _ You need to go on a diet..._

Kao glared at him, _ I heard that..._

Yugi smiled, mouthing the words, 'I know'

"Like, Hi!" Yugi returned his attention to in front of him, there, stood a girl (AN: No offense female readers, I'm a girl too, bu~t I need to vent out my depression.) Who was, to say the least, scantily clad. "Who _are _ you?" (AN: People, remember, Yugi is no longer short, and his eyes don't remind you of a child anymore...I would guess in this...things vision, she'd think he was one of those single, cute guys...the only way I can even write this part is putting myself in her shoes...eww...and to think, I just showered this morning...)

Yugi raised a brow, honestly, if it were before, he'd be blushing, not knowing how to react, but he's gotten enough of these on his missions to know what to do. That doesn't mean though, he doesn't wonder exactly _why_ somepeople act so weird... "I could ask the same." She batted her lashes, nearly succeeded in making Yugi and Kao gag.

"I'm like, Ostpul, but you can call me Ostp." She stood closer to Yugi, he wanted to glare, but he thought he needed the amusement of watching this...thing...make a complete fool of itself. "And where have you been hiding all this time?" 

"Oh, around..." The girl, it, wasn't going to give up so easily, it needed something to catch his attention. At the same time,. Yugi was wondering how itwould react to the fact he was gay...

It sqealeded, "Oh, you have a cat, like, I just _love_ cats." It stooped down to Kao's eye level. "Hey, kitty-kitty." Kao growled, the girl obviously knew next to nothing about cats, "You would, like look soo, cute with a pink bow around you neck, it would match with you eyes!" It stood and began...flirting with Yugi, who, by now was starting to become rather annoyed, as much fun as it is watching it humiliate itself, it was irritating. All while Kao thought bitterly,

_'And you would look so good with a nice, thick rope tied around your neck we strung you from a tree with it...it would match you dull and dead eyes...once you sufficate that is...'_

"I have to go." The girl looked at him, once again batting its eye lashes,

"Would you like my number? I'm free Friday nights..." Yugi smiled, and whispered darkly, all while smileing _sweetly_ mind you,

"Would you like me to rip out your tongue?" It was shocked, "No? Pity, that's my hobby too, I really was looking forward to someone screaming this Friday..." It took a step back,

"Like...o-on s-second thought...I'm like...umm...busy!" She turned and ran. Yugi smirked, turning and walking back to the directon of the park. Once they reached the secluded area, Kao transformed nack into a panther.

"Pink ribbon! Can you believe the nerve!" Yugi chuckled, for some odd reason, Kao hated ribbons in general. "So, when's the rest of the Sennen Items getting here?" Yugi pulled out a sandwich.

"Tomorrow, I called the Ishtars as soon as we got here, they know the someone's after the Sennen Items, they don't know it's me though..." He bit into the sandwhich.

"You can be an actor." Kao dug in the basket, finding some meat to satisfy her hunger. "Do you remeber our first mission?" Yugi smiled,

"It was _ my_ first mission, I'm sure you were on others before."

"M-hm, but not one with a partner." She watched while Yugi skipped a rock across the lake. "Do you still remember what I said when I saw you?" Yugi nodded,

"I still remeber."

*~FLASHBACK~*

_"Kao, in the next mission, I want you to take a partner." Kao continued to sit there, watching Queen Vesa from the ground. "Come out Yugi." From by the walls, a still somewhat short Yugi Mutou stepped forward._

_"Excuse me, your demoness," Kao stood, circling Yugi like a hawk, "But I am the Beast of Darkness, not some kids baby-sitter."_

_"I'm not a kid, I'm sixteen."_

~*END FLASHBACK*~

"I would've never guessed we'd stay partners..." Kao mused, Yugi shut his eyes, 

"Yeah, but because of me, you and enemies, ne?" Kao growled,

"I never really cared who I made enemies with, but that girl is enemy to anyone who befriends humans..." Yugi sighed, gazing at nothing in particular.

"Kao..." It was barely a whisper, but she heard it, and lkifted her head to show she did, "Do you, remember your family, you know, your parents." Kao just scoffed,

"I had no parents, I was born with no memory of one. My home was the Earth, I was alone...though I did have a family...my own..." Yugi knew exactly what she meant. Kao once had a family of her own, cubs and a faithful mate, but he was killed. Later, the same poachers who had killed her mate, also got her cubs, every last one of them. It was then that Kao became the Beast of Darkness, but unlike Kaniah, she didn't hate all humans.

His thoughts lingered...Kaniah, now there was an interesting character, she hated anything and everything that had to do with humans...yet...she seems to hold some kind of hurt...like he himself does. She was bitter to him, simply because he was a human, and had surpassed her even though she had served Vesa for a greater amount of time, ad Kao, for simply being Yugi's compangion.

"What about you?" Yugi snapped out of his trance and answered simply,

"They're dead." Kao let out a knowing 'oh.' and left it there. "It doesn't matter though, cause I've got you." Kao looked at him quizzingly, "You've been like a mother to me, and you're the only one I can trust now..." He didn't trust anyone in the Demon Realm, simply because they all served Vesa, and at any given moment if she turned on him, they would all follow, but for some reason, he felt he could trust Kao.

"You've gotten stronger since I first met you, even without me, you'd be able to go on, right?" Yugi stared at her, nodding, "Good, that's what all mothers wish, they hope that their child can turn to them when something happens, but they also wish they could stand dstrong without them."

**_~*To Be Continued...*~_**

* * *

Hallo! I've go over our chaos, my sister took the news better than I had expected...oh well...anyways...

loanshark ~ I'll tell you if I ever find out...I know, if I didn't know that...*slaps hand over mouth* can't say, I wouldn't know who to piy either...

Satori Opaque ~ Duh, I'm not starting a new one until I'm done this one, by the way, I have _another_ new idea...heh...and **those _aren't_ spelling mistakes! They're TYPOS, TYPOS I TELL YOU! TYPOS! EVIL TYPOS OF THE UNDERWORLD!! **

dilanda ~ Sigh, I know what you mean, heck, even _I_ don't know Hueln, if you're wondering how I write it then, the answer is simple: I have a slip of paer where I wrote down the letter translation, so when I need to, I look for each of the letters one by one and type them, I really don't expect anyone to be able to speak or write Hueln...but try translating 'hueln' and don't forget that girls name, not Kao, that girl from this chapter...it's amusing. For the Spelling mistakes, please read the bolded words in my answer for Satori Opaque...just no screaming this time, kay?

sTaR SNiper ~ I know you want to know, but, I can't answer you...cause that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Halacanno ~ I'm glad you like it.

DustyStars ~ Thank you.

nightingale ~ I know what you mean, though, I'm a sap, so I'm okay with those too, okay with them only though...

YugiLover3 ~ He...*slaps hand over motuh, _again_* As much as I'd like to tell you, I can't, just remeber, in this story, not everything is as it seems...and, out of curiosity, that someone else wouldn't happen to be me, would it?

Kanzer ~ Glad you think so.

G.I.R.L ~ neither can I, neither can I...

Blue Mystic Moon Warrior ~ I believe you already saw his reaction, ne?

Amy, I'm glad you think so, though I feel as though I could've done a better job...

holo ~ Once again, glad you think so.

cccccccccchris ~ *blink* o~kay, thank you, I'll take that as a compliment, thank you.

Fate ~ Thanks, I really don't know what to say...

Helteage ~ Thanks...I hope Heteage liked it...by the way, if you're not Helteage, then who are you?

kiyoko-chan ~ Thank you.

Yes, I know some of these review are from chapter one, and yes, i know some people have reviewed more than once...but, I'll just use your most recent one. Anyways...

ARIGATOUNA MINNA !!(THANKS EVERYONE!!)


	5. True Betrayal

Pain of Betrayal

Hiya! School has started once again on 1/6/03, for me anyways...which means, I'll only be able to update once a week...if I can...preferably, over the weekends. Thank you all my wonderful reviewers! I'm glad you all like this story so far!! It's reviewers like all of you that give me the will to keep writing!! I hope you'll keep reviewing...I just love reading reveiws...it always gives me this warm fuzzy feeling...sigh...

Anyways...here's The next chapter of 'Pain of Betrayal'!

* * *

The gang walked silently down the unusually quiet and deserted streets of Domino City. They had gotten a phone call, not too long ago from Yugi, telling them to go to corner between Cat Haven Dr. and Neo Dragon St. They knew it was a trap most likely, but they decided to go anyways...they had to explain to Yugi what really happened...

They stopped, confusion and worry etched on their features at the trio of familiar Egyptians stood across from them...

"What are you three doing here?" Yami, being the first one to find his voice, asked. Malik rolled his eyes,

"You should know, your light called us here..." The group's eyes widened considerably. 

"Of course, you and Shadi both have something I need..." All head turned in the direction of the voice. Yugi smirked darkly, leaning against the wall of a close by building.

"Yug'..." Jou was both worried and glad to finally see his best friend again.

"Shut up!" He snapped bitterly, pushing away from the wall he looked at them, amusement seem to sparkle from his amethyst eyes. "I am no longer Yugi Mutou...I am Dark Angel, assassin of Queen Vesa of the Demon Realm, and partner to Kao." The group, save the three that had already encountered him, were shocked. Even after what they've heard, Anzu, Honda and Jou didn't want to believe it, but they don't seem to really have a choice in the matter.

"This can't be real..."

"But it is, Anzu..." Yugi's smirk seemed more smug, "This is as real as it gets...now, if you'll all excuse me..." The sword formed in his hand, "I still need the Rod, the Key and the Scale."

"What makes you think I'll give you my Sennen Rod?" Malik reached towards where he kept his Sennen Items, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What makes you think you have a choice?" Kao stepped up from behind them, growling slightly. Yugi almost looked like he was smiling,

"Kao, you look like you're gonna _eat_ someone..." Kao snarled quietly,

"I don't eat junk, Master Yugi." Was her reply, she turned gaze towards the group, "It's not like they'll be going anywhere beyond a three meter radius...I have the barrier up and running."

"Good. Now, I'll give you a chance to throw some resistance at me, I've been getting bored here anyways..." So, the last part of his plan was thrown into action, but it wasn't very long until he had gotten hold of the Sennen Rod, Key and Scale. (AN: I'm sorry that lacked detail, no matter how hard I tried to think of how Yugi got those, I couldn't...)

"I still have a little treat for you all..." He reaches to his pocket where his deck was kept, "I think you'd be familiar with this...Curse of Dragon, arise!" Yugi lifted the card high up above his head, it glowed brilliantly. When the light died down, there was the Curse of Dragon, in all its glory. "Not exactly Shadow Powers, but close enough..."

Yami stood there, his face showing no trace of the internal struggle being held. _'If I don't summon a monster, Yugi could kill the others! But...I can't fight Yugi...it would be like fighting myself...is this the only way to save him?'_ He sighed, drawing a card from his own deck, knowing fully well the answer to his question, it was three simple words, yes, it was...

"I summon, The Dark Magician!" The same happened... to his card, "Dark Magic Attack!!" The dragon disapear in a flash of light and its owner just smiled malevolently.

"I was expecting quicker reflexes from the King of Games..." He held his deck in one hand and prepared to draw with the other.

"Stop this! Aibou, we're not enemies, we shouldn't be!"

"But we are!" Yugi countered, "And you know why? Because my so called **'friends' **decided to abandon me!"

"You have to let us explain!" Yugi turned and glared at Honda.

"If you mean for me to listen to more of your lies, no thank you."

"What happened... to you!?" To everyone's surprise, it was Bakura who had spoken. "**You** taught me what it means to be human again, **now** look at what you've become!" 

"What happened... to me?" He chuckled forlornly, "I'll tell you, I died...Yugi Mutou is dead, and in his ashes, I have risen." What happened next, was something no one had, or could have expected. Yami walked right up to Yugi and slapped him, he caught him by his wrist and pulled him back into a standing position.

"That's enough, no matter what, you're still you, no matter what you say or do...you will never fall," Tears were threatening to fall, but he held them back. "Because I'll always be there to catch you, and you'll never die before your time, because I'll always be there to protect you."Yugi was, stunned, he stared at his darker half disbelievingly, "Oh, Ra...Yugi...you have to believe me, you just have to..." A lone tear drop made its way down his face, and a few more followed suit.

For some reason, Yugi felt like believing what Yami had said, he felt like burying his face into his darker half's shoulder and cry. He wanted to wrap his arms around Yami and just stay there, feeling his warmth against himself. To almost everyone else's surprise, Kao made no move to stop Yami, she just calmly sat at the side, though even if she doesn't, someone else will...

Atop a building, a shadow sat watching, _'So, our little Dark Angel has dropped his mask...funny, I never expected him to be gay...oh, well, that doesn't matter anymore...' _She held her hand out, whispering a simple spell in Hueln, "Wuelrevs fhaln.(piercing sword.)" A light erupted from her hand, shaped like a sword, and headed for the two at a high speed...

"Master Yugi! Look out!" Yugi snapped back to reality, seeing the magic, he leaped to the side, grabbing Yami's wrist, but due to the suddenness and the fact he had pulled extra weight with him, he lost his balance and fell, dragging Yami with him. The pair skidded across the pavement and was stopped by the barrier. All present went to check for injuries, they were fine, a few scrapes, yes, but they were all right never the less.

"Kao, did you see who did that?"

"I did." Kaniah was suspended in midair, smiling devilishly, unlike Yugi, she wasn't wearing her cloak, she was wearing a dark shirt that only showed her showed her shoulders, and tight black pants. (AN: Not leather, fabric.) "I wanted to see if your reflexes were still good." No one had noticed Kao had disappear from Yugi's side until she had pounced on Kaniah, pinning her to the ground by her shoulders.

"I suggest you crawl back into that hole you came out of, before you find yourself with out a head." Her claws glowed in a toxic green, and where they touched, a burn mark was left on her skin.

"I think you should be saying that to that _parasite_ that follows you around." Kao tightened her grip, nearly burning away the other's skin as the tip of her claws dug into her flesh.

"Kao." The panther turned her head, Yugi just shook his head, Kao let go of the girl. "I don't need you interfering with my mission, Kaniah." Yugi's voice was once again coated in ice, and if possible, seemed even colder than before. 

"I just thought that I should remind you of your mission, as it seems, you may have fallen for the enemy." He glared at her.

"I have forgotten nothing." With a wave of his hand, a black vortex opened, he turned back to the group, eyes betraying no emotions. "Remember this, Yugi Mutou is dead, I am but an empty shell of what once was." With that said, he walked towards the portal.

"No! Yugi, let us explain!" But he didn't take notice, he just walked on, and disappear into the portal. Everyone present was silent, they were almost sure that they had the old Yugi back, but obviously fate didn't work in their favor...

~ ~

The three walked silently down the dimly lit hallway, Kaniah was a couple of strides ahead. Yugi's head was cast downwards, deep in thought,

_'Why did I save him? What he said, did he...could he...'_ He stopped, clenching his fists tightly. _'Even if he didn't mean what he said...am I doing the right thing?'_

"Master Yugi." Yugi relaxed, calming himself, "Is something wrong?" concerned ruby eyes peered at him.

"No...nothing's wrong...just thinking. If you don't want to go to the throne room, you don't have to." Kao hesitated, it was true, she had no liking for the throne room, it was murky and all around it, it had an air of death and suffering. She only entered when absolutly necessaries, and since Yugi came along, she has had no need to go. "I can take care of myself."

"All right, I'll be in our chamber, you know how to contact me." She turned and left, when she passed Kaniah, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her pupil became thin slits, "If any harm comes to him, and you had something to do with it, I swear by the powers of Shadow, Dusk and Dawn, I'll hunt you down and make you wish you were dead." 

When they reached the large doors of the throne room, they both stopped, Kaniah pushed the doors open, causing a small creak of ungreased metal against metal to echo throughout the empty hallway. They stepped in, and bowed before Queen Vesa, who was sitting in the throne.

"I believe it is good news you bring?" Yugi didn't speak, he just tossed the bundle to the demon, the woman observed the golden items, a glint in her eyes.

"Your...demoness..." She threw a small 'hm?' in his direction, giving him permission to continue, "What will happen to the spirits of the Ring and Puzzle?"

"Nothing...until I extract the magic of these items...then they'll be nothing more than mortals..." She snapped her fingers, as if remembering something. "You have a score to settle, don't you? Hm...I also need them gone, in case any can steal the items...you can do that." It wasn't a question, more like a statement, when she made a statement, the court member in question had no choice but to obey. So of course they were all surprised when Yugi declined...

"No." Everyone looked as if he was mad, all except for the queen.

"Why not Dark Angel? Do you not trust me?" She was mocking him, and he knew it.

"From what I recall, I never trusted you in the beginning."

"But you trust the one that had hurt you." Yugi didn't even move, he didn't even answer, he just stayed there. She sighed, "Pity, you were really useful too..." She glided from her throne to him, she cupped his chin in her hand and raised his head to face her, "But you know what? They never betrayed you." He stood up abruptly, breaking from her grip.

**_~ * To Be Continued...* ~_**

* * *

Well, that's over and done with...I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter, all secrets will be revealed!! So, watch out next week for Chapter 5 of 'Pain of Betrayal': Secrets Revealed!!


	6. Truths Revealed

Pain of Betrayal 

Hallo! How's all my readers? I hope you don't think I'm updating too slowly...but...this as fast as I can get these things up with school work and all..You know what's the hardest part of just Angst? I always have comments I want to add in, but they'd make people laugh....please enjoy!

Curse school...mutter, mutter, mutter...

* * *

In a damp dungeon, a figure sat, back to the wall, hands chained to it also. His wrists are red, from trying to pull out of his restraints, his body was bruised and around him, was his blood. He slowly looked over his hands, musing. Just two years ago...he wouldn't have hurt anyone if he could avoid doing so...now...his hands were stained with the blood of the ones he had killed...

_'I was so stupid...'_

~*FLASHBACK*~

"But you know what? They never betrayed you." He stood up abruptly, breaking from her grip.  
"What are you saying?"

"For a long time now, I've watched you, watched you in your miseries and despair, but you still held kindness and light. If you harnessed that light, using white magic, your powers could rival to mine...I was faced with two choices, one was to kill you...but that would\'ve meant risking for a chance for your powers to awaken...a chance I couldn't take..." She sat back down on her throne. "Another, was to wait for a chance to turn you to the dark side...then you solved the puzzle, you had friends, and I had something to break you with...I just had to find the right moment..."

"And it finally came! I over heard your friends and darker half talking about something that would require a secret kept from you, less time spent with you and maybe, a bit of pretended ignoring, just to hide it from you. I took my chance and implanted an inner demon in your mind..." She smiled wickedly, "And you know what? All this started with a surprise birthday party..." 

Something inside of Yugi snapped, he launched forward, weapon in hand, straight towards Vesa. They parried each other's attacks and magic, neither gaining the other hand,they were almost seemingly matched, but this isn't a game of horse shoe, almost, doesn't cut it...Yugi left with a few scratches, nothing serious, but he was exhausted, while Vesa still stood, also a few scrapes, but less tired than Yugi. She walked to where the Senne Items lay, while Yugi was bound by magic.

"This is the end, you still have a chance, join me..." She couldn't even finish her request, Yugi just glared, and if looks could kill, she'd be twenty feet under. "Fine." She muttered a chant, and what once was a brilliant gold, turned a dead, coal black.. "Lock him in the dungeon, let no one see him." She turned to Kaniah, smirking. "Kaniah, Ggo back to Domino, kill all those who know anything about the Sennen Items."

"Leave them out of this!" Yugi let the fear show, he felt no need to hold it back anymore.

"I can't, they know too much. I wouldn't want anyone to find a way to take back the magic of the Sennen Items from within me."

~*END FLASHBACK*~

He choked back a sob, he felt tears slide down his cold cheek. He didn't wipe them away, he smiled slightly,  
_'How ironic...I thought I forgot how to cry...'_ A mental image of Yami before he left appeared...he knew, without magic, they don't stand a chance against Kaniah, and with Yami as a mortal...it means he can die... _  
'And I'll never see him...because I'm sure as hell that Vesa won't let me die...I'm too valuable and plus, she wouldn't let me see my darker half, ever again...'_

Muffled sounds from behind the door caught his attention, there was sound of an argument, then a growl, followed by a satisfying thud as something hit the ground. The door opened, revealing an unconsious door person, and a worried Kao. "Master Yugi! I heard..." She rushed over, surprised to see him crying. "What...never mind, let me get these off."

"No."  
"What? We have to get out of here!"  
"Don't you see! I've betrayed my friends...and the one I love! I hurt them! I nearly **killed** them!" Yugi pulled his knees to his chest, shaking, and whispered, "I nearly killed **him**...during these two years, I haven't got stronger, I just kept building walls to protect myself...I'm still nothing, and worst yet, I nearly destroyed all I have left.."

"You're wrong...not everyone can fight with Vesa and expect to last for more than two seconds, but you lasted even more! Don't do this to yourself...you couldn't have known what she did, even though...you knew Vesa would betray you..." She rubbed her head against his cheek, trying to draw some motherly comfort. "It will always be too late too change the past, but never too late to change the future...you can apologize, they'll accept...trust me..." Yugi nodded, she smiled warmly. "That's the spirit, remember, I can be your partner, mentor or mother, but I'm not your baby-sitter, so let's stop with the water works, I don't like to see you cry." Her claws glowed a brilliant silver, and she cut the chains like soft butter.

They left the cell, Yugi looked over to where a still figure lay against the wall , he raised a brow, "So **this** is what happens when you stand in the way of an angry mother." His features grew serious again as he stared down the hall. "Kao?" She turned her head, signifying to him she was listening. "Can we do something first? I want to make up for what I did..." She didn't protest, and both stealthily made their way to their destination...

~ ~

Kame Game Shop, AKA Mutou Residence...

"Kuso!" Bakura cursed furiously as he paced for about the fifteenth time since he and Yami suddenly felt something drain their powers.  
"Bakura...could you stop pacing and calm down?" Ryou asked quietly.  
"I AM CALM!" He immediately regretted yelling when his light cringed. Having an apology from him, would be like hell freezing over, so he just sat down. Ryou wasn't afraid of Bakura, he had promised to give up his quest of collecting the Sennen Items and treat him like an equal human being, which, Ryou believed. The spirit had never lied to him, seal his soul in his favourite card, yes, cut his arm so that Malik could get close to his friends, yes, turned him against his friends, yes, sealed everyone at school's souls into game peices of his favourite Board Game RPG 'Monster World', yes, use his body without his permission, yes, treated him like dirt, yes, the list could actually go on, but it won't...but he has never lied to him.

Yami sighed, watching the two white haired teenagers. He envied them, they'd always trust eachother, but Yugi hates him...he sighed, the others noticed, they threw him looks of concern, "I'm fine, I was just wondering what's happend to Yugi..."

"You don't need to know." All heads snapped towards the sound of the dark and feminine voice. "Come to think of it, soon you won't need to know much of anything." a smirk played on Kaniah's lips. "But for his sake, I'll give you all a slow and painful death."She leaned against the door frame triumphantly.

"Where's Yugi?" She striaghtened herself, looking at them through bemused, half-lidded eyes.  
"Here's the deal, if you can somehow defeat me, I'll tell you what has happed to the parisite, not like it'll help, for he'll be spending whatever life he has left in a miserable hell-hole." Her eyes opened fully, and she lunged forward, ready to kill...

But a sudden brilliant flash caught her off guard, and she was forced to stop and shield her eyes from the bright, yet impending light. When it died down, there stood Yami, his trademark smirk plastered on his face, and the eye of Horus glowing on his forehead. "Let's add another twist to this deal."

"Oh? What sort of a twist?" She was mildly interested.  
"A game, if you win, you can take my life, but if I win, not only will you tell me what has happend to Yugi, you will also play a penalty game."  
"Agreed." 

~ ~

"Damn this all!" Yugi Mutou cursed as another beast fell to a pile of dust after being slain. The Sennen Puzzle bounced about wildly on his chest, after he had grabbed it, he felt the power return as it returned to its former colour, but a magical barrier prevented them from taking the other six. They had no choice but to run, as soon as they had emerged from the portal, these clay monsters had been attacking them. They were now about ten blocks away from the Kame Game Shop, and fighting for their lives, and have been for half an hour.

They continued to run, Kao slightly in the lead, she had an advantage even though they were both tired, not only was she faster, Yugi still had a few wounds that opened up again when he moved too much. Clay monsters were not easy to defeat either, they attack in numbers, and they will only turn to dust when their source of power, a small gem, is disconnected from their bodies. These gems are can be located on their hands, feet, neck, head or tail, and the gem is rather miniscule too.

_'Yami, please pull through....I know you can!'_

~ ~

"I lost..." She fell back against the wall, exhausted from the amount of mental strength it took to keep the game going, but no matter how hard she tried, she was still no match for the King of Games.

"Where's Yugi?"  
"Rotting in hell." Yami glared at the girl, she just smirked. "Hey, I'm saying the truth...he's rotting in Vesa's dungeon, and you'll never see him, **ever** again.Not in life and not in hell."

"Enough!" Yami Yugi raised his hand, speaking in an extremely dangerous tone, "For the deeds you have done, you shall be forever haunted by those you have killed!"

She closed her eyes, awaiting her fate, _'Forgive me, Kihira (kee-h-ee-rah)...'_   
"Penalty-" He stopped, he couldn't do it, he slowly dropped his hand to his side. Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to bring someone to the brink of their sanity and beyond that, but he couldn't...he just couldn't, not this time. "Why?" Here eyes shot open as she half glared and half stared at him disbelievingly.

"Why what!" She shrunk back, wanting nothing more than to sink into the shadows, not that she couldn't she was just too tired.  
"Why are you doing this?"

"Because of you god damned humans! You're all lying, cheating, betraying pieces of shit! Every last one of you!" Yami opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "Shut up! You know what? It makes me sick, just knowing I also have the blood of a human flowing in my veins!" Everyone's eyes widend visibly. She smirked, "Yeah, you heard right, I'm half human and half demon. My mother was a demon, fell inlove with my father, and had me...and you know what? She died, giving birth to my younger sister, Kihira...but I didn't hate her, not at all...I loved her as much as an older sister can love her younger sister. Know what though? I tried to protect her, I did, but I failed, that...that...bastard we called a father betrayed **us**, his own flesh and blood! She was killed, she never stood a chance, not with her disability!" She leaned against the wall, glareing loathingly at all of them. "**That's**, why, that's why I joined Vesa, **that's** why I loathe hate humans, **that's** why I seek revenge!"

Everyone was speechless, all of a sudden, infront of them no longer sat a vengeful demon, but a broken and betrayed girl with a shattered heart and trust. "I'm...so sorry to hear that..." Here head snapped up and she glared, tears brimming her eyes.

"No, you aren't and I don't need your pity, you can all just take it and shove it up your ass!"

Suddenly, her amulet, along with Yami's Sennen Puzzle glowed, and tey both fell into a dark hole of memories...

~ ~

They were floating above some house, encased in a glass prison. They watched as a young Kaniah left the house, happily skipping away, a basket in hand. They then watched a bunch of men with dogs that seemed to reek with the very essence of death enter the quiet house. In a flash of light, they were inside...

"Who are you?" The ten year old girl that greatly resembled Kaniah sat up in bed, graspingthe sheets.

"Your reaper of death ya little half-breed." A man sneered, showing his yellow teeth. The hounds and men advanced on the girl, who could just hopelessly sit there, fear stricken. Suddenly, another man burst through the door, panting.

"What do you think you're doing here? And stay away from my daughter!" A shadow from behind knocked the man unconsious.

"Boys, finish your job, you, old man, still play a part in my plan." As the girl was once again advanced on by the hunters and hounds, the image arounf them faded...

~ ~

Kaniah's eyes snapped open. "That...can't be real..." She closed her eyes, letting out a muffled scream of frustration. "Why? Why did it have to be like this!?"

~ ~

Yami floated about in an endless dark void. "Where am I?"  
"You are here." He whirled around, coming face to face with a girl similar to the one in the vision, except 18.  
"And where, exactly, is here?" The girl smiled warmly.  
"That isn't important...Ne-chan? I know you can hear me too. Before I died, I sealed a part of my soul into her pendant, but I wasn't strong enough to talk to her, but I can now, with help from your Sennen Puzzle. Arigato, Yami Yugi, spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, and Ne-chan? Don't hold onto the past, and Papa doesn't hate you either, he knows you only wanted to help me."

A light engulfed Yami and next he knew of, he heard voices calling his name.

~ ~

Yami groaned as he rubbed his head where it had come in contact with the ground. "Who were those people?" He added mentally, _'I can probably guess...but I want to make sure first...'_

"The girl sitting in the bed, was Kihira, the man, my father, those other men were hunters and those dogs are Hell-Hounds...and that woman...she's Vesa..." Her hands clenched into fists. "To hell with that bitch!...I should've known...that's what Vesa's known for, mind tricks and turning people against their loved ones..."

"Even Yugi?"

"Yes, even him...but he knows now, and Kao probably helped him escape. I'd hate to admit it, but that kid has everything that I once had, but not anymore, and never again: friends, family and love."

~ ~

The duo continued to run, and eventually, they finnaly made it to the Kame GameShop. Yugi leaned against the wall by the door, standing in a puddle of his own blood. "We finnaly made it back, and I can't even knock...how ironic..." Kao looked at her friends worridly, watching as tears threatend to fall as he clung to the wall as if, if he were to let go, he would drop into the very depths of the underworld.

"Never say never, Master Yugi." Before he could even question her, Kao had already thrown her self against the door, creating a loud, 'THUMP!' against the door. She tried again, and again, against Yugi's protests, each time, Yugi could've sworn he thought he heard a slight cracking.

"Kao! Stop! Onegai...yamate..."

~ ~

THUMP!

Another sounded as the room and its occupants remained silent. Finally, Kaniah stood shakily, "Something with strong magic's here, I can feel it..." She reached the door and touched the door knob, almost fearing what was to come. _Heh, fear, that's a good one...the Great Kaniah is afraid..._

She took a deep breath and the door swung open, just as Kao was going to come in contact with the door. Kao came through the now open doorway, collided with Kaniah and hit the counter. When the dust cleared, the pnather shook her head, clearing her now reeling mind, until she noticed exactly who broke her fall...

"You!" She glared distainfuly. Kaniah rubbed the side of her head, slightly annoyed.

"Well howdy, ho, har and hello to you too, can you get off now?" Her voice was dripped in such thick sarcasm, if it were a liquid, it'd by hardend jello.

Kao stood, turning back to the door, not spareing the half-breed another glance. She turned as she passed the group, adressing Yami.

"Master Yugi's outside, I think he'd want to see you." She continued, and Yami, upon the uttering of his love's name, followed her. What he saw made his blood run cold, there was Yugi, barely even standing, in his own puddle of blood, his head was down, and his breathing ragged, and shallow.

"Yugi?" His head shot up,and for a moment there eyes met. One was filled with surprise and hope, the other, was filled with tears, despair, trust and fear, but he smiled, Yugi smiled, a rare true smile that he had once shown almost every day, once being the key, now a days, he doesn't smile, unless no one but Kao's around. Yami couldn't believe this was real, there was Yugi, his aibou, his light, his eyes shining with the same trust they did those two years ago. He closed the distance between them and enloped him in an embrace, he was slightly surprised that it was returned.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have believed someone else over you...I shouldn't have!" Yugi's body wracked with sobs as he tightend his grip around his darker's waist, "I should have listened...I'm sorry..." He burried his head and cried into Yami's shoulders, fearing that if he were to let go, he'd be left alone. Yami slowly rubbed his hikari's back soothingly.

"Shh...aibou, you couldn't have known , and we all forgive you." Yugi stared up at him with tear stained, innocent amethyst eyes.

"Really?"  
"Yes, really." He smiled reasuringly, Yugi returned it, but then his eyes closed as he fell unconcious. "Yugi!"

"Don't worry." The smooth, yet slightly pained voice of Kaniah spoke, "He'll live, don't know how long if you don't get him bandaged up though." Anzu ran upstairs to grab the first aid and Yami carried Yugi back into the house...

_***~To be Continued...~***_

* * *

Hallo! That's that, Yugi knows the truth and so does Kaniah. She has a bit of a...anno...curseing issue, eh? Maybe we should wash her mouth out with soap...sorry bout the long delay for this chapter...

I usually hate the term 'half-breed' But I honestly couldn't think of what to say...Okay, message, Kaniah is one of the few characters I've made, who acts like she did in previous chapters, and don't hate...you should've seen me in "The Past To Which I have forgotten" I hated one of the characters, and I started doing a victory dance when I killed him...but, Kaniah is different...I truly believe everyone has their reasons to do what they do and act how they act. Sure, that reason doesn't excuse what they do or say, but it influenced it.

Please review!


	7. Love and Trust

Pain of Betrayal

Oh, my lord...51 reviews!!! Yippee!! I notice that compared to some, 51 is a rather small amount, but I'd gladly keep writing even if I have one review for three chapters, and still be happy about it. Oh, I noticed, I forgot to translate some words in the last chapter, thanks to the Seventh Sage for bringing this to my attention, I'll keep translating, it's just that, well...I try to give my self a dead line to atleast get one chapter up a week, and for that last one, I was already two weeks late, hence, I missed small details like those. Minna (Everybody) Gomen-nasai (Sorry)...demo(but), minna, arigatou(thank you)!

I'm starting to learn japanese from my mom, but enough of that...I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter, it is *strikes dramatic pose* FLUFF LOADED!!!...mu(no meaning)...gomen(same as gomen-nasai), I'm a sucker for fluff...for I am, *strikes yet **another** dramatic, yet over-used pose* A SAP!!...mu~ I'm high on something! I just know it! Let's see, I haven't eaten sugar...and I got enough sleep...eh...whatever...please enjoy this...if you can't stand sap, don't worry, this chapter is just here so I can write some sweet fluff, you wouldn't be** too** lost if you didn't read this...but...who can't stand fluff?

...

Well, that's a stupid question, I can name one person right off the bat...

Anywho...**_words_**= Kao voicing over

words= Thought speech, hikari to yami  
words= Thought speech, yami to hikari

Enjoy!

* * *

Trust, something that can be very easily broken, yet strong in a sense, it can hold everything together, or tear it all apart. When one is too trusting, you can be lied to and betrayed, yet...when there isn't enough of it, your life could crumble before your very eyes. What's to trust, and what's not to trust? How would you know your desicion is correct? How can you tell? And if trust is to shatter, can it become whole once more?

"He'll be better once more of the medicine kicks in..." Kaniah stood, stretching. "Till then, one of you might want to watch him, incase anything happens." She dropped her hand to her side, "So which one of you lucky contestants gets to sit here all night without sleep?" She grinned, though it still turned out looking malevolent, but her voice held some hidden amusement, not malice.

"I will." Yami sat on the edge of Yugi's bed, slowly holding his hand firmly. Kaniah shrugged, her 'I don't really give' attitude returning.

"Suit yourself, I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Everyone filed out of the room, all except one.

"Would you mind if I stayed, Master Yami?" Yami turned and gazed into compassionate sanguine eyes.

"Just 'Yami' will be enough." She curled up in a corner.

"That's what Master Yugi says too, but I never listen, I don't see why I should now."  
"Not too long ago you hated me."  
"You cannot hate someone you don't know. I just wanted to do what I can to help him...he is at peace now, no longer in the grasps of hate and vengeance, and I have you to thank for that."

"Why? I couldn't help him..."  
"You couldn't have known, so stop beating yourself over it."

"He got hurt because of this."  
"He's grown stronger, and he wouldn't want you blaming yourself, or he'd start blaming himself, again." Yami opened his mouth to protest, but Kao beat him to it. "If you say you don't deserve him, I'll just tell you that, that really doesn't seem to matter to him, does it?" The King of Games blinked twice, wondering how she knew. "Trust me, you may be th King of Games, but you can't win an argument with a mother." Her blood red eyes closed, signalling that the argument was over and she had the last say in it.

Yami nodded, gently stroking his light's hair. "Kao?" The panther's sanguine eyes opened ever so slightly. "You treat Yugi like your own, right?"

"...yes...I treat him like one of my own, for my own are dead...200 years, I've carried this burden for 200 years...if you're willing to listen, I can tell you the same story that only Yugi has heard." Yami nodded, turning to face the feline. "200 years ago..."

*~FLASHBACK~*

**_"...there was a normal panther with a mate and a family..."_**

A few panther cubs played around a female panther, their mother, at the mouth of a cave in a mountain. The mother's eyes sparkled with joy as she watched her cubs continue their folly. A larger male panther passed, stopping by the female, licking at her face.

**_"She was content, in fact, she was more than content, she had a home, a love and a family that she loved and loved her back. Her cubs never disobeyed her, and her mate was loyal and caring, she had all she needed, but little did she know, all that would change and disappear..."_**

"Looks like we've got ourselves a whole family." The cubs all huddled behind their parents, shaking with fear and anger, the two parents, stood over their precious children, hoping no harm would come to them.

**_"Poachers, four of them, found their cave, and attacked them, a feirce battle was fought, but in the end, the poachers had the upper hand, they had weapons, early guns, but it was enought to over power two panthers. The mother fell off the cliff, and she never had a chance to see her cubs or home, ever again...there was a fire, a big fire set by the poachers, it burnt the whole forest along the mountain range, hence forth, she became hoemless, just as she was before she met her soulmate..."_**

"Now we're all clean, just listen to those animals screech!" The poachers laughed heartily, the panther could do nothing, too many of her bones were broken for her to even move.

"This wasn't necesary!" One of the younger poachers yelled.

"Who asked you?"

**_"She tapped into the power of darkness, transforming her from an average panther, to the Legendary Beast of Darkness. She killed the poachers, but spared their families, warning them to never kill another creature out of cold blood, she killed all but one, the one who never wanted to burn the forest, the one and only who had another reason driving him to kill her family, to save his own..."_**

"Please, kill me if you must, but spare my family." The panther glared, demon wings spread to their fullest.

"Why? You didn't spare a second thought before you killed mine!"  
"Please! Our daughter was ill! They promised us the money we needed for her medications! If we didn't do that, she would've died!" Her gaze shifted from the man to his wife sho had just spoken, she slowly mad her way over to the woman that held the child. She backed away, and the man stepped closer to his frightend wife and crying child.

"What's her name?" The couple glanced at each other, utterly confused.

"She doesn't have one, not yet."

The panthjer swiftly turned around, folding her wings as they seemed to melt into her back. "Tommorow, people will grieve over the deaths of five men, but none will grieve over the thousands of animals lost in the fire, innocent animals that were killed in a want for material possesions, is that, what you humans call justice? Is that right? Is it fair that those scums will be grieved for and we the creatures of a lonely mountain side, will be forgotten? I'll spare you, only because I would've done the same for my children."

"Wait!" She stopped, though she didn't know why. "Can you name our daughter?" She stopped to think for a moement before answering,

"Tezu, her name will be Tezu, for it means 'life' in an almost dead demon tongue, Hueln, I wish that your child will live to let live, unlike me."

**_"Just as she had said, people grieved over the lost of the five heartless killers, but not one grieved over the innocent animals that had died in the fire. It was ironic really, they, as living beings were below those heartless monster. It hurts, to know that just because they weren't human, they were considered next to nothing..."_**

Alone, the panther sat quietly in the rain, at what used to be her home, a cave by the mountain, her family's carcasses covered by large leaves she had found, and alone, she sat and grieved for all those that had died that fateful night in the fire. Everything she had known was gone now, not one creature survived, not one, except her, but, she can't help but to feel that a part of her had died in the fire, her heart...

*~END FLASHBACK~*

"That panther was me. I know what vengence can do, but there's no talking him out of it, all I could do was watch and make sure he stayed safe." Yami gazed at her apologetically, a sudden whimper caught both their attentions. Yugi, was not only whiumpering, he was thrashing about blindly under the sheets, face pained and tear stained.

"Yugi...aibou, wake-up..." Yami tokk him by the shoulders and shook lightly, but it was futile, he wouldn't wake-up.

"Hold him." Yami looked quizingly at Kao. "This isn't the first time this has happend, so just hold him." He didn't question, his angel's well fair is more important, so he gathered Yugi into his arms, and like some miracle, he stopped thrashing and crying. He clutched Yami's shoulders and snuggled closer to the warm body holding him. "Won't he ba glad to see the object of his obssesion first thing when he wakes up instead of a black, furry panther."

Yami stroked his light's hair, enjoying the feeling of having him so close. He stared, and lowered his head hesitantly and planted a kiss on his forehead. Almost like magic, Yugi's eyes fluttered open, tiredly, he yawned cutely, and snuggled, if possible, even closer.

"Mm...please don't let me be dreaming..." Kao just chuckled.  
"This is far from a dream...I'm going to tell them all that you're awake..."

There was a small moment of silence, The two just held eachother, neither wanting to let go anytime soon. Eventually, Yugi quietly asked, "Yami?" Though slightly muffled, the spirit gazed downwards towards him. "Did you mean what you said? Before, how you'd always be there for me?"

"Yes, I did."  
"I don't deserve you..." He stared down degectedly, suddenly finding the floor very interesting as tears filled his eyes _'No, I won't cry...not infront of Yami...'_. Soon though, his face was forced upwards to meet Yami's eyes.

"That's not true, you're the bravest, brightest and most beautiful living creature I have ever laid eyes on." Yuugi's face lit up like a red lantern. He was caught completely off guard.

_'Yami thinks I'm beautiful?'_

Of course.  
When did our link open again? Yami shrugged, smiling at his hikari. He picked him up, and gently sat him on the bed before retrieving a package from a nearby drawer.

Open it. Yugi did as he was told, he let out a startled gasp, there, dangling from a delicate looking leather cord, was a beatiful pendant. It looked like a small cage made from a thin piece of metal whirled around to form that shape, and inside, was a marble-shaped gem, swirling with red and purple that seemed to glitter when put against light.

"It's...beautiful..." Yami couldn't help but to smile at what he saw, his hikari was examining the pendant with eyes filled with childlike curiosity, his mouth slightly agape with amazement, the scene before him was just so...cute. As he continued to watch his light, he could just feel himself melting, it was then that the door decided to open, aruptly ending the beautiful sight. Everyone stood at the door, there was an uncomfortable silence, until it was broken, by none other than Kaniah.

Yugi's POV

"I see you've gotten better, then I'm not needed here." Kaniah stated rather curtly and left, I wonder briefly why she's even here, oh well, I'll bother about that later...I turned to my darker, he just smiled reasuringly, oh how I've missed that smile...

"Minna...gomen.(Eveyone...Sorry)" I looked to the floor again, drawing circles on the floor with my foot, oh, how I wish I could actually make a hole and burry myself in it... "I'd understand if you don't want to forgive me..." Jou grinned, closing the distance between him and the bed with a few steps.

"How could we not? Friends will always be there for eachother, right?" (AN: MU~ Friendship speech! Run! No, don't run, joking, joking!) I couldn't help but smile and nod like a complete idiot, but, I don't really care. Of course, I don't think it would matter much, not now anyways, then, Jou slapped me on the back and unfortuneatly, almost hit a spot that hasn't quite finished healing yet. I nearly fell to the floor, but that's okay, I didn't hit the floor anyways...

END Yugi's POV

Yami had caught Yugi before he hit the ground and sat him back on the bed. It was then that Yugi's face turned an interesting shade of red. 

"Umm...thanks..." All the occupants of the room grinned knowingly. The kind and sweet Yugi Mutou wasn't dead, in fact, he was still quite alive and kicking. "But...what were you planning before I left?" Everyone's faces lit up, and simutaneously cired,

"Happy Birthday!" Yugi was stunned, it's been two years...and they still remembered.

"We don't have the gifts here though..." Honda shook his head at Jou's words.  
"Those are all two years late!" Something in Yugi's mind clicked and his eyes widened in realization.

"You were panning a surprise party, weren't you?" Yugi's eyes welled up with tears, "All this time...Kami(god)...I'm so sorry...I..."

"Don't be, Vesa's a cold hearted, manipulative whore who takes pride in watching people go head to head against their loved ones and what they believe." Kaniah leaned against the doorframe. She rolled her eyes, "Now, you," She pointed to Yugi, "Need rest, I'm not spending more time tending to your wounds, so let them heal...and the rest of you..." She started quietly took a deep breath, "OUT!" Everyone scrambled out, muttering good nights to their friend before leaving. Kaniah left and closed the door behind her.

Yugi let out a giggle and leaned against his darker. _'I feel like I haven't left at all...maybe I'm dreaming...I hope not...'_ He felt the pendant he held in his hand was slipped out of his grasp by Yami, who palced it around Yugi's neck. Yami felt his heart pound...would Yugi accept his heart? Or would it be shattered?

"Aibou?"  
"Hm?"  
"Do you know what this pendant reminds me of?" Yami wrapped his arms loosely around Yugi's delicate waist from his spot behind his light and whispered into his ear, "The jewel is in a small cage, no matter what, it will be yours, it can never be with anyone else, because it seems to be made for you. The colours seemed dark before, but once on you, it is exquisite and has never looked brighter, I couldn't imagine giving it to anyone else, just like my heart." A moment of silence passed bettween the two. 

Yami was about to withdraw his arms, when he felt two warm hands clasp around his own. He waited, and sure enough his answer came, and it came like beautiful music to his ears, "And I can only hope I will never lose it." Yugi turned around, his darker's arms still loosely holding him as he rested his own on Yami's shoulders. "Because I know I'll treasure it always." 

They pulled in closer, eyes never breaking contact. Slowly, but surely, their lips met, and upon the contact, Yugi's eyes fluttered close, and Yami's followed suit a short moment later as the kiss was deepend. Both held each other closer, refusing to let go, both seeking enternity in each others arms, and both, couldn't be happier to be where they are. Betrayal, hurt, trust, hate, longing and despair, almost even the world was forgotten, only love, love for the other. Eventually, they broke for air, Yugi slightly flustered and both panting slightly, gasping every here and now for air. Yami pulled Yugi into another tight embrace as they both lay down on the bed.

Aishiteru(I love you). Yugi smiled,  
Hai, aishiteru(Yes, I love you) Yugi sighed, burying his face in Yami's chest as his smile fell.  
What's wrong? Yugi sighed forlornly.  
It's Vesa...I'm afraid that she'll hurt our friends and you...  
Whatever happens, we'll make it through...don't worry...

Yugi smiled again, and closed his eyes, letting sleep take over. Yami on the other hand, could only stare at his sleeping light, watching as his chest raised an fell rythemicly, tracing every last bit of his features with his eyes.

"You really should sleep." Yami didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "Master Yugi isn't the only one that needs rest.""  
"I don't need to sleep."  
"Normally, I woul guess not, but so far, you have entered the world of being a mortal then imortal again, all in less than a day, you need rest." Yami sighed, running his hand gently through Yugi's hair as his angel lay there peacefully.

"I'm afraid...afraid that if I fall asleep..."  
"...you'd wake-up finding this was all a dream, right?" Yami didn't reply, he just pulled his hikari closer as he continued to fight the sleep that threatend to over come him. "Have you ever noticed, when you're dreaming, no matter how bizzar, you never think you're dreaming? If you ask if you're dreaming, then you're usually not." Yami didn't know why, but he trusted her, and soon, he fell into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

~ ~

Yugi's eyes opened slowly, he closed his eyes and snuggled closer to the warmth beside him, for a moment he had forgotten all that had happend, naturally assuming it was Kao, until he felt not fur, but fabric. His eyes snapped wide open as he stared at the sleepign mass that was Yami, but he still felt Kao's prescence.

"Kao?" His voice was barely a whisper, not wanting to wake Yami.  
"Yes?" Yugi stared st the ceiling.  
"I feel as though, I can do something...but what?"  
"I know that feeling...I've felt it before.." Yugi let his gaze fall from the ceiling the the panther he saw as a motherly-figure. "Tell me Master Yugi, have you ever heard the legend of 'Shadow, Dawn and Dusk'?"

~* To Be Continued... *~

* * *

Hello! How did you like that? Good? Bad? Sucked to the point where even saying it's horrible is complimenting it? Please tell me how you like it...

By the way...you know the part where Yugi said, 

_"And I can only hope I will never lose it."_

He wasn't talking about the pendant, he was laking about Yami's heart...so sweet...I'm a sucker for sap...and fluff...and happy endings...and...sorry...didn't mean to start babbling....

REVIEW!!


	8. Shadow, Dawn and Dusk

Pain of Betrayal 

Hello! I hope everyone had a happy V-day...hmm...maybe posting that last fluff chapter late at night on Sunday after people haven't been able to post anything wasn't a good idea...no really...why am I talking to myself again? Whatever...

Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Yami groggily opened his eyes, shutting his eyes, he rolled over, hoping to escape the headache he had. When he did though, he heard a small crunch of paper being crushed by his weight. His eyes snapped open as a sudden memory shot at him like a gun. He shot straight up, entirely ignoring his headache. There, in his hand, was a letter...

~*FLASHBACK*~

Yami's eyes opened, and he smiled at the sight of his light, who was sitting at the edge of the bed. He scooted over, wrapping his arms around Yugi's neck and whispered softly,

"Awake?" He felt Yugi tense a moment before relaxing in his grip.  
"Yeah..." Yami sensed something bothering his light.

"What's wrong aibou?" Said boy forced on a smile before turning to face his darker.  
"Nothing." Yami could tell that, that 'nothing' was in fact 'soemthing', but decided not to prod.  
"All right, but promise me you won't try anything alone, I wouldn't know what to do if you were gone from my life." The other just nodded mutely.

"Yami?" The taller boy looked down to his light, who has his eyes cast downwards.  
"Hm?"  
"I love you." Yami felt a smile play on his lips. Funny, how three simple words can make him feel so complete, so...happy...it just felt right.  
"As do I, forever and always." They pulled into a breath taking kiss, that was when Yami heard it, through their mental link...

I'm sorry. Yami broke away, Yugi's eyes welled up with tears. "Fonnuv ftuuw(sudden sleep)." Yugi's hand glowed slightly before Yami felt sleep trying to overcome him. He felt Yugi push a peice of paper into his hands, and before his vision became lost in black, he heard his light whisper with a slightly cracked voice. "I can't keep that promise just yet"

*~END FLASHBACK~*

"Yugi..." He quickly unfolded the letter.

**_Yami,_**

**_By the time you're reading this, I'm not here anymore. Don't think for a second I went ahead and committed suicide, just to make sure you understand, I love you, and that feeling is returned, I have only everything to live for now, and nothing to die for. I had a talk with Kao, I may have just found a way to solve our dilema. There is an old legend, a legend almost as old as Hueln itself, the Legend of Shadow, Dawn and Dusk. I hope you and the others can understand, this is something I must do. I must make-up for all the trouble I've caused. I really love you, and always will, and don't worry, I'll come back alive. Me and Kao will be back before you know it._**

**_Love,  
Yugi_**

Yami shook slightly, letter still in hand. He felt his eyes glaze over with tears. He knew, somehow, Yugi would pull a stunt like this, but he still wished that he could help. It was then that a 'thump' downstairs caught his attention. He opened the door and headed downstairs. As he descended, he could here the constant sound getting louder, and he heard a word that was always followed closely by a 'thuimp'...

"Three!" Thump  
"Three!" THump  
"Three!" THUmp  
"Three!" THUMp  
"Three!" THUMP

By the time Yami had taken the last step, the 'thump' had grown considerably in volume. He found the source as Jou and Honda ramming the door to get it to open. Anzu was near them, cheering them on, while Kaniah just leaned against the wall in the shadows.

~ ~

"Master Yugi, what's wrong?" Kao asked as they continued to travel through a lush forest, pushing branches out of their way every now and then. Yugi stayed focused to the path ahead, but it was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Nothing...I'm just worried...I mean, what if I don't make it back..." Kao shook her head slightly before bringing her attention back to the front.

"You'll make it, just believe, if you try hard enough, even a metal pillar can be molded to a needle (AN: Like sand paper to wood kind of molding.). What do you want to do, after Vesa's gone?" Yugi seemed to brighten slightly.

"Well, I was hoping to maybe finish my eduction, and maybe have a semi-normal life. After that, I want to be able to spend the rest of my life with Yami, no matter what I do." Yugi turned to his compangion. "You'll stay, right?"

"Of course Master Yugi, I want to watch you graduate, I want to see you get a job, and grow up, why would you think otherwise?" Kao looked at him curiously nearly getting hit by a branch.

"It's just that...you're always calling me 'master' I can't help butto feel, well...as if I had saved your life, and that's the only reason you stay..." Yugi looked forward again.

"In a way, you did. After that fire, I felt a part of me die too, but you brought it back, you brought the part of me that had died, back to life. You truly are a wonderous child, since the first day I saw you, I've felt attached. I wouldn't admit it, because I knew, getting attached means pain, but you told me, it also means strength. You did save me, in more ways than I can explain, but that is not why I stay. I truly do love you as one of my own." 

Yugi smiled, maybe after this whole fiasco, he could truly settle down, finish his education, get a job, and live a normal life, well as normal as having a magical panther as a motherly figure and a 3000 year old spirit for a soulmate can get anyways...

~ ~

As Yami sat there silently, everyone was busy absorbing this information. "Yugi can't go on his own! He'll be creamed!" Jou stood, though his shoulder still ached from trying to break down the door that Yugi had sealed with magic. Everyone present save Yami and Kaniah made some sort of a reaction. Kaniah had on a thoughtful look hand resting in a fist more or less on her mouth and the other hand under the elbow of the first.

"Maybe not..." All head turn to her as her face lifted so her fist was under her chin. She peered at the distraught spirit, and asked rather calmly, "Did the letter sy anything about the Legend of Shadow, Dusk and Dawn?" Yami's eyes widend considerbly. "Thought so...Shadow, Dawn and Dusk is a legend, one almost as old as Hueln. No one knows for sure if this legend is true or just fantsay, but abviously it's as real as it comes."

She paused, making sure she still had their attentions before continuing. "Shadow, Dawn and Dusk are said to never have been seen, they'll only show themselves when they feel they need to. Not everyone believes this as true, solely because with every encounter, they change form. Out of ten people who have seen them, none of them would say the same thing about their gender and age. One would claim to have seen three little girls, one would claim to have seen three teenage boys, and so forth. They never use the same guise twice and no one knows for sure if they even have a real gender, but of course, not too amny people have seen them."

"But, despite that, the way they describe how they talk and act, is always the same. Legend has it, Dawn, is the Keeper of Life and Dusk, is the Keeper of Death, together, they can change the fate of men and women. Dawn can bring life, or take it away, Dusk can bring death, or stop it, if it isn't both, the person would be stuck in a rift bettween life and death."

"Shadow, is neither, he or she has no contral over life or death, for Shadow, is the Keeper of Power. Shadow can give infinite amount of power that we could only dream of and more, yet, to him or her, it would barely be felt once given. They seek out those they feel they should seek out, and with the powers of Shadow..." Kaniah's calm expression turned into a smirk, "Vesa will be seeing how hell looks like very soon..."

~ ~

Yugi and Kao moved into a clearing. There were three old men in the clearing. One had dull blonde hair and shining silver eyes, another had soft grey hair and his eyes were glimmering golden both seemed different, the silver haired one was cold and dark like the essence of death. The blonde haired one, shinning with hope and life, but both of their eyes seemed unfazed by the years of life they have endured. Each wore a cloak, and each was different. The blonde haired one wore a white silky cloak that showed his shoulders and was rimmed in gold lining. The silver haired one wore a gray fabric cloak that covered not only his shoulders, but his neck as well, the cloak was patterned with silver swirls that glimmered in the moonlight. The last one, black hair and eyes, wearing a pitch black velvet cloak, he smiled upon setting his eyes on Yugi and Kao.

"Greetings Mutou Yugi, Kao, We have been expecting you." His voice gave the impression of an old crippled man, but Yugi could hear in his voice the defiance of a young man, see in his eyes the reckless courage of an adventurer and feel the power radiating off of him, yet at the same time,he gave off a wise air. "I am Shadow, Keeper of Power." The blonde haired one came to them, but he didn't walk, he just seemed to glide like a ghost standing on the ground.

"And I, am Dawn, Keeper of Life." His voice was also different, it was soft but his voice seemed to hold secrets that would never be unravled. His smile was very pleasant, too pleasant, the kind that reminds you of a day where everything goes well, but one slip up, and you're dead. His eyes glimmered mischivieously, but it was well hidden by a soft glitter of happiness. The third and last, glided to the other side of Yugi, whispering,

"I am Dawn, Keeper of Death." His voice held no emotions, but his golden eyes held a few, a few that were very well hidden that if one were not to look with great care, you wouldn't see it. You could read nothing, but despite it, he seemed as though there is nothing more to know that is too dangerous. Shadwo was now infront of Yugi, He looked at the younger teen, and the said teen, looked right back at his eyes, a gesture told to him to use by Kao.

"Kao...The Mighty Beast of Darkness..." His black eyes drifted to the panther. "It has been two centuries since we've last met, I see you've change a lot." Kao looked him in the eye.

"I see so have you, last time I saw you, all three of you were ten, and you were female." Kao let a small light overcome her, and her demon wings are folded neatly on her back, and the Mark of Shdaow, which looked like a backwards 's' with a line that passed through it vevrtically and hooked in opposite directions at the ends.  
"We have no real age or gender, what else could we do but keep changing?" He turned to face Yugi again, this time, the other two had left to the sides. "What is it you wish for young one?"

"For power, power to save my friends and loved ones." Yugi stated firmly. Shadow raised his hand, energy lighting up the whole area. He started a spell in a tongue that even Yugi didn't understand. As the light dimmed, on Yugi's forehead was the Mark of Shadow.

He could feel all that power crackling under his skin, he could feel the strength he possesed, he felt the very magic courseing through his veins. He stared at his hands, he could see the unfamilliar aura, he could see it. He lifted his head, and they were gone, Shadow Dawn and Dusk, the only proof that they were even there, was the unusually strong magical powers in Yugi. Suddenly, all three of their voices sounded thoough the wind,

_"That is all that anyone can do, we have set the path, now you must walk it..." _

"Thank you..." Thunderous and cruel laughter sounded through the clearing, and both Kao and Yugi prepared for the battle that held the fate of the world...

~ ~

"Yugi!" Yami called again as he continued through the empty streets of Domino, the door sealing spell had broken after a short energy surge, and after that, they had decided that anyone without magic or Shadow powers should stay behind, and that was pretty much everyone except Yami and Kaniah, since Bakura's powers have yet to return. Things were turning up to be rather hopeless, no sign of Yugi and no sign of Kao, but, there was also no sign of chaos and destruction, at least that was a good sign, or was it? "Aibou!"

Suddenly, they felt a jerk in a direction, and both followed it to its source. After about ten minutes of walking, they felt it increase and Yami made a mad dash in that direction, Kaniah following behind. When they reached their destination, there was Vesa, Kao and Yugi. Vesa had a few cuts, but once again, nothing too serious, unless you count that gash on her arm. Kao didn't look too tired, but Yugi looked exhausted.

"You ignorant wretch, don't you know? You aren't use to the powers given by Shadow, Kao is, but she isn't really a threat, you'll tire out much sooner than you think, Ritt az Nuigm(Call of Death)!" A light errupted from her hand and hit Yugi and Kao, knocking them both against some trees. 

Yugi"s POV

Where am I?

"Yuig!" I looked down, there was Yami! And..me? What the hell? And why in Ra's name am I translucent?

**If you want answers...** I turned around and there was...me again? But how come he looks so sinister? **I am you, I am Dark Angel, that, down there, is our body. Join me, let us bring forth pain and destruction!**

"No! I can't and I won't!" The figure scoffed

**You're weak.**

_No he's not!_ I turned again, and there was me, two years ago...I was lost who were they and what were they doing? A sudden screech caught my attention, down back on the ground, I don't know what, but Kaniah had done something to anger Vesa...I wonder what? I watched in horror as Kaniah was frozen in place by magic and Vesa prepared a blow, a one hit kill blow...

"Someone help her!" I couldn't move, and no one could hear me, or so I thought...I didn't notice the puzzle glow until the light shot forth in a beam and hit Kaniah's pendant. Her pendant glowed and the semi-transparent figure of a girl, appeared. She smiled at me and began whispering something...

Kaniak's POV

It's Kihira...she came...I sat in stupor as my pendant continued to glow, I heard her whisper something to an unknown source, "Never give up." Then, Vesa's attack hit, it collided with Kihira's spirit...I watched as she started to disapear...no, she can't...

"Kirhira!" I felt tears roll down my cheeks as my sister turned her head and smiled at me.

"Please don't cry...you've always tried to protect me...let me protect you, just this once." Tears welled up in her eyes, I reached to brush them away, but I couldn't touch her. "Sayonara(Goodbye)..." As she whispered those words, I watched her disapear. The pendant around my neck cracked and shattered into pieces...I failed again...and I still didn't get a chance to say goodbye...

"Curse that stupid girl, she always was good for nothing...at least your sister was good for Hell Hounds to chew."

Yugi's POV

"Shut up!" I could feel Kaniah's rage, I don't blame her.

"How could she...that woman treats that girl like she's nothing!"

**That's how life is...**

_Not always...it doesn't have to be this way!_

I watched as Kao left Yami and me, she whispered to Yami, "Protect him." Yami nodded wordlessly, then again, I thought, no words were needed...

**Once we kill Vesa, we will be-**

"Enough!" I glared at Dark Angel, "I was you once, but not anymore! I refuse to kill out of cold blood or because I was given a mission. I asked for power from Shadow to protect the people I care for, and that is what I will do. I don't care how weak you think I am, but better weak than cold hearted!" I thought I saw the me from two years ago smirk.

_He has chosen, now leave. _After he faded into nothing, I turned to the younger-me.

"Am I dead?" He shook his head, and then he too, disapeared. I felt a pull, I was being pulled downwards, back to my body. I watched as Vesa concentrated another blast, this time at us! I watched Yami cover me with his own body. "No! Yami!" Next thing I saw was black and red...

END Yugi's POV

Yami had prepared for a hit, but it didn't come, it never did. As both Yugi and Yami opened there eyes and turned thier heads, they caught site of their saviour. It was Kao, and she was now lying on the ground in a pouddle of her own blood and not moving. Yugi's eyes glazed over with tears, "No...Kao..." Yami was surprised to see his light awake, but held him anyways, there was nothing more the Pharaoh could do...

Yugi suddenly flared with power. He slowly left the embrace of his darker and stood. "How could you? What do you think life is? It's not something you can play with!" Yugi's eyes darkend as he continued in a dark voice, "You're not God, and even if you were, you have no right to do this!" Yugi lifted his hands, letting his magic gather. "And for what you have done, you shall be punished. Finah Xonsujuvg(Shadow Judgement)!" The mark on his forhead flared brightly, bathing everything in a pure white light as Vesa screamed in agony.

When the light suddenly disperse, Vesa was no more, and six golden orbs of light was replaced in a flash by the other six Sennen Items, in their former glory and colour. Then, one byt one, they disapeared, no doubt returning to their owners...

Yugi limped slightly over to the unmoving body of the panther, not wanting to believe she's gone. "Kao?" He placed a hand over her face and was slightly surprised when her eyes opened slightly. "You'll live...right?"

"I don't think so..." She replied weakly. Even her sanguine eyes have lost their usual glint of life. Yugi shook his head,  
"No, you'll live, you have to! You promised you'd never leave! You promised!"

"I also promised to never betray you, and I didn't, and I won't now, I'll never leave you, remeber? The dead lives in the memory of the living. So as long as you remeber me, I'll be with you, but no matter what, I can't let you die. I love you, like one of my own and not time, death or anything can change that."

"I know, but Kao, you'll be all right...remember, you said you wanted to see me and be there for me like a mother through my life? We've finnally made it! I can finnally live my life the way I've always wnated! You can't leave, it won't be the same...it just wouldn't" Yami wrapped his arms around his lights shoulders.

"Yugi...I do want to...but I can't and you'll just hurt yourself more by trying to fool yourself I won't die. At least I lived long enough to see you find your soul mate." Kao felt death pulling at her, she would be gone soon, very soon...

Yugi dropped his head on Kao, that was when he heard it, heart beat, weak and faint, but it was there..

~*FLASHBACK*~

"Mr. Mutou, I'm sorry to say your daughter and her husband are dead, only your grandchild is alive, and miraculously left with some not too servere scratches."

"Ji-san(Granpa)!" Six-year old Mutou Yugi all but ran into his grandfather's embrace. "I was so scarwed!" Sugoroku calmed his grandson down before looking into Yugi's large violet eyes. "Ji-san? Where's Ka-san(mom) and Tou-san(dad)?" He tensed how do you tell a child his parents are dead?

"Yugi-kun? You'll be staying with me." His grandson's face brightend.  
"Really? Gweat! Are Ka-san and Tou-san coming?" He shook his head, Yugi's expression falling and then brightend again. "Later?" Once again, Sugoroku shook his head. Yugi's eyes widend. "I did something wong! And now Ka-san and Tou-san are mad!" He dashed down the hall and collided with the doctors taking away his parents.

""Ka-san! Tou-sna! Whateva I did, I'm swowy! He threw himself on his mom, and suddenly pulled away. "Ji-san! Ka-san's heart!" Tears flowed like rivers as he faced his grandfather. "Ka-san said her heart beated fwor me! But it not moving! Doesn't...Ka-san...wove me?"

*~END FLASHBACK~*

Yugi cried harder as he recalled the day his parents died. "Don't cry...please...I don't want to see you like this..." Yugi slowly sat up, leaning against Yami as he willed his tears to stop. "Be strong, you have to, with or with out me." She turned to Yami, "And you, if you ever make Yugi cry, I'll make sure to come back and haunt you."

"I would sooner trap myself back in that endless darkness than hurt Yugi." With that, Kao's body began to flake a bit.

"Don't break that promise..." Kao closed her eyes peacefully and the flakes erupted in a dim red light as Kao turned into a pile of black rose petals that swirled in the wind. Yugi buried himself into Yami's shoulder, but he didn't cry...

**_~*To Be Continued...*~_**

* * *

Well, that's the end! *dodges trash and vegetable that were thrown at her* Oi...there's still an epilogue!!!! Anyways...I hope you all enjoyed this! I know I have!

I killed Kao and Kihira...ehhhh...now I feel bad, but...I'm a sucker for happy endings till next week folks!


	9. Epilogue

Pain of Betrayal

Hallo! And Welcome to the last chapter of, Pain of Betrayal! I must say, it has been my honour to write this, and I hope you all liked this. I hope this was good enough...

Okay people! I am proud to thank all my readers, and I hope I'll see some of you review again for the next YxY fic I'm writing, Always, Now and Forever, but enough of that...on with the epilogue!

* * *

Yugi plopped down on the couch, it was his 20th birthday, it's been two years since he had come back, two wonderful years. Yugi sighed, he closed his eyes, but opened them again when he felt a soft warm breath at the side of his face.

"What's wrong, love?" It was Yami, Yugi smiled, lifted his head and made room for the pharaoh.  
"Nothing...except I'm dead tired." Yugi smiled as he leaned against his Yami. Ji-san was still cleaning up after the party, everyone had been there, even Kaniah. During these two years, a lot has changed. Kaniah was alittle more open, but they hardly saw even ther shadow unless she felt her prescence was nesecary. Despite her seclusion from them, they could tell she was healing mentally, and yet even with the new addition, it seemed almost nothing has changed...one thing certainly has though...Yugi sighed, and it didn't go unoticed by Yami, who questioned him mentally.

Aibou, what's wrong? Yugi sighed out loud again closing his eyes.

I was just wondering... He sounded hestitant, but Yami tooke his hand and squeezed it reasuringly. "I was wondering what Kao would think..." Yes, the death of Kao, it was hard to forget, I mean, you don't just experience a mother's love and forget it. It was Yami's turn to sigh, he pulled his hikari onto his lap, holding him.

"I would think, she'd be proud, very proud..."  
"I still miss her though."  
"So do I..." During the short time he had known the panther, Yami had grown some respect for her, and he had only wished he could know more about her. She seems to get everything out into the open, yet, she always had some secret up her slee-...some secret nobody knows about. They pulled closer, until they could feel each others breathing...

It was then that there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!"Yugi scampered up and bolted to the door, Yami following, but at a much slower pace. When Yugi opened the door, he was surprised to see only a package, a package with holes may I add. On the top, was a note, scribbled out in fine cursive.

**_What once was the Beast of Darkness,_**  
_**Now reborn and brought back to life,  
In due time her memories shall return,  
Along with her powers and might.**__**  
Take care sweet Light  
And 20th Happy Birthday.**_

_**~S.D.D.**_

Yugi stared at the letter quizzily, Yami stood behind him, equally confused when a sudden realization struck. "Aibou?" Yugi looked back at his other half. "Wasn't Kao the Beast of Darkness?" Yugi's eyes widend at the meaning of the three letters and he all but tore the package open. In side, was a small black panther cub with it's eyes closed, the Mark of Shadow shon on its forehead and the signs of Dusk and Dawn shon on its paws one on each. It slowly opened it's blood red eyes, and yawned, stretching like a kitten.

"Kao?" The kitten stared at Yugi, blinking, rolling off its back, it came closer to Yugi's face and gently purred. Yami bent down, picking the panther cub up. Crimson gazed into sanguine, and the silence was broken when the kitten gently flicked her pink tongue on Yami's nose as a friendly gesture. The 3000 year old spirit blinked as she tilted her head slightly. He placed her and in Yugi's hands as his light cradled it. "So you don't remeber huh?"

"She will, the note did say..." Yugi nodded, stroking her. "But, I believe we have another problem, how to tell Ji-san..."

~ ~

Up on the opposite rooftop, three women in their early twentieswatched as the door to the Kame Game Shop closed. The one in the middle, sat on the edge of the roof, legs dangling from the edge. Her black eyes and shoulder length black hair swayed in the wind as did her black cloak. The one to her left short golden blonde hair and peircing silver eyes, her cloak reavealed her shoulders and it was a pure white that stood out against the night sky. The last, had long silver hair and golden eyes, a gray cloak adorned her, covering her shoulders and neck. The trio smiled, and disapeared in a wisp of sakura petals...

**_~*Owari*~_**

* * *

Well, that's that, I'm sorry to say that I will not write a sequel, so please don't ask, it'll only make me feel worse if you ask for a sequel and I can't write one...

A big thank you to all my readers who, without them, this story would probably not be here...it might, but if it has no readers who would know it exists, eh? It's been a pleasure writing this, really, it has. Once again, thank y'all! Now that this is done...I can start on the next one I have planned! Yippeeee!!!!!!

By the way, about the cloaks, I revised the last chapter a bit, just the part with Shadow, Dawn and Dusk, so if you're confused, just read that part over.


End file.
